John 10:1–10; The Fourth Sunday of Easter; April 26, 2026

The Fourth Sunday of Easter

John 10:1–10

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN
April 26, 2026

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

We like to think we are strong, independent, capable.

But Jesus calls us sheep.

Sheep aren’t the smartest animals in the barnyard. They follow each other, even into danger. They return to the same trouble time after time.

Did you know sheep get stuck on their backs?

It’s true.

They get on their back with their legs in the air, can’t roll over, panic, and die if not helped. Their digestive gasses build up and suffocate them. No injuries. No predator attack. Just stuck.

When it happens, they are called cast sheep.

The danger is real and fatal.

Jesus calls us sheep.

It isn’t a compliment.

A cast sheep needs someone to come and turn it over or it dies.

The reality of being a shepherd is that sheep do dumb things.

Sheep don’t need advice. They do the same dumb things over and over again. They will follow each other and anyone into danger. They wander from the flock after green grass.

They must be constantly corrected and protected… from themselves.

And Jesus calls us sheep.

Jesus knows what He’s talking about.

It’s a diagnosis.

We are sheep.

We return to the same sins. We follow the wrong voices. We can’t see our sin. And according to the Bible, you can’t fix it, the problem is permanent.

You don’t just need guidance—you need to be rescued from yourself.

“A sheep is a poor, weak animal; it cannot help itself, it cannot find pasture, it cannot defend itself.”
— Martin Luther

You are a sheep.

You cannot be your own guide out of sin.

You cannot fix your sin.

You cannot save yourself.

And Jesus gets specific.

“A stranger they will not follow…”

But we follow the world.

When the culture speaks, we follow.
When fear speaks, we follow.
When pride speaks, we follow.

Sheep don’t evaluate the truth. They recognize a voice, even the wrong voice.

They follow the wrong shepherd.

You are a sheep. You are always following a voice—and left to yourself, it won’t be Christ’s.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd.

He calls His own sheep by name.

His call is very personal.

He uses your name.

He doesn’t use force.

He uses His voice.

He calls wandering sheep.
He calls sheep that repeatedly return to the same problems.
He calls sheep that don’t listen.
He calls frustrating sheep.

Jesus knows exactly what kind of sheep you are.

He calls you anyway.

People—and you and me—are stubborn sheep.

We are not easy to shepherd.

We are wandering sheep.
We are stuck sheep.

An ordinary shepherd—Jesus calls him the hired hand—might give up.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, doesn’t give up.

He calls you by name.

He tells you the way.

“I am the door…”

It isn’t about improvement.

The door isn’t one option among many.

He is the only door.

If Jesus isn’t your Shepherd, you are not safe.

He uses another name for false, hired-hand shepherds.

He calls them thieves.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…”

The thief uses false teaching that sounds right.
The thief promotes self-trust.
The thief endorses false religion.

The thief takes.

The Good Shepherd gives.

Jesus doesn’t give up on you because He gives Himself for you.

“Christ is the Shepherd who gives His life for the sheep.”
— Martin Luther

How astonishing it is that a shepherd would do such a thing.

A shepherd protects the sheep. He works for the sheep. He may even risk himself.

But a shepherd will not die for the sheep.

They simply are not worth much.

Sheep can be replaced.

If a wolf comes, the hired hand runs. That only makes good sense. The shepherd’s life is worth much more than the sheep.

Jesus says something that makes no sense:

“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”

That’s the absurdity of it, the backwardness of it.

It is not how the world actually works.

And even more so when you make it personal.

Remember what kind of sheep you are.

You wander off.
You repeat your sins.
You don’t learn from your mistakes.
You are frustrating.
You are not valuable.
You are not impressive.

And yet—Jesus dies for the sheep, you and me, anyway.

It is not hypothetical.

It is not poetic.

He actually dies.

See it right there on the cross.

He hangs in suffering and death, for you.

He does it anyway.

Again Luther brings it home:

“Christ is the Shepherd who gives His life for the sheep.”

Not because the sheep are worth it.

But because He, the Good Shepherd, chooses them.

He chooses you.

You don’t have value because of who you are; you have value in Christ because He died there, on the cross, for you.

The absurdity is not that sheep need a shepherd.

The absurdity is that the Shepherd dies for them.

The Shepherd, the Good Shepherd, died for you.

And the Good Shepherd, the One who died for you, is still speaking to you.

He calls you by name.

Not just once—continually.
Not in the past—right now.

It comes to you through His Word, through His voice.

In His voice, in His Word, that is where your life is.

It is not in your strength.
Not in your ability to follow.

You would naturally wander off to what you think are greener pastures.

Your life is in the voice of the Shepherd who will not stop calling you.

You are not kept because you hold onto Him.

You are kept because He does not let go of you.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, has already died for you.

He lays down His life for you.

So listen.

Don’t listen to yourself.
Don’t trust in your sinful heart.
Don’t listen to what the world says.

Listen to Him.

The voice you hear, in Word and Sacraments, is the voice of the Shepherd.

He keeps the sheep.

His sheep.

Even a sheep like you. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Luke 24:13–35; The Third Sunday of Easter; April 19, 2026

The Third Sunday of Easter

Luke 24:13–35

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN
April 19, 2026

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Two men were walking on the road to Emmaus. They were dejected. These men were talking about all the things that they had seen in Jerusalem.

Then there was a man walking with them. They hadn’t seen him before, he was just there. He joined their conversation.

“What are you talking about?”

Cleopas, one of the men answered.

“Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

“What things?” the traveler asked.

They were shocked.

Cleopas continued.

“Jesus of Nazareth! He was a prophet of God. He did lots of things only God could do. The chief priests delivered him to be condemned and crucified. We had hopes that he would be the Savior of Israel. And now some women we know said they went to the tomb and didn’t find his body. Angels appeared to them and told them he had risen from the dead. Others went to the tomb and didn’t see his body.”

The stranger then said:

“You are foolish. Don’t you believe what the prophets have said? They said all this was necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and enter into his glory.”

Then he showed them from the Scriptures, point by point, how Jesus had fulfilled everything that Moses and the prophets said about him.

Jesus doesn’t give them moral advice. He doesn’t tell them to try harder to believe.

He gives them the key to the Scriptures.

The Word of Life is found in the Bible. It is about Me.

The entire Scriptures are about Jesus.

That’s how you know a church is teaching the right thing. Everything is centered on Jesus Christ crucified. Every doctrine, every sermon, every Bible class.

Churches that deviate to moral teaching or life coaching are missing the point. The church of Jesus Christ is about Jesus Christ.

Very specifically, Jesus Christ lived as a human being, taught about Himself as the center of God’s Word, healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, was crucified dead and buried, and rose again from the dead.

The disciples on the road to Emmaus had missed the point.

“We had hoped…”

When they saw Jesus dead on the cross, they thought that all He had said and done was pointless.

What they didn’t see was the resurrection.

They had heard rumors, but they didn’t believe. They were lost in Jesus death.

Jesus clears it up for them.

He points to the words of Scripture:

“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, [Jesus] interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”

All the Scriptures… concerning Himself.

Jesus taught them exactly what they had hoped was true.

Jesus is the one to redeem Israel. And in fact, the whole world. His resurrection proves it.

He pointed to the multitude of passages that verified it. He pointed to the multiple passages that said He had come to forgive sins.

In other words, He taught them the meaning of Jesus Christ.

Later at the table, He was revealed to them for who He was.

“And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight.”

They saw Him for who He was.

Jesus Christ again in the flesh.

They believed He had risen. They believed He had died for their sins.

Their response is positively epic.

“Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”

It was the Word spoken by the One who caused it to be written. The One it is all about. The One who fulfilled it all.

And their hearts burned.

It was a natural emotion created by the teaching of the truth by the Truth Himself and received by the human heart.

The emotion isn’t the thing.

It was a reaction to the coming of faith. Faith in Jesus crucified and risen. Faith created through hearing the Gospel.

People so often confuse the emotion for faith. We like the feelings, the experiences, and the spiritual highs.

Scripture doesn’t condemn these, but it does show us that these aren’t faith.

Faith is trust in Jesus to do what He says He will do—forgive sins.

Faith is looking to Jesus on the cross.

Faith is the for me of everything that Jesus did.

The turning point in this text is at the table.

Jesus’ identity was still hidden from them until He:

“took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them.”

Immediately Jesus was known to them.

He wasn’t seen in the teaching on the road.
He wasn’t seen in the emotion.
He was seen at table.

That’s a key.

At table means during the action of the meal. It emphasizes the action, not the furniture.

Jesus is seen in the breaking of bread and the fellowship of eating.

It is in Jesus breaking bread that:

“their eyes were opened.”

And then… Jesus was gone.

Why?

We see Jesus, not in His physical body, but in Word and Sacrament.

Jesus in the flesh doesn’t have the certainty of Word. Even seeing Jesus in the flesh isn’t the sure thing—we don’t see Him that way.

The Emmaus disciples saw Jesus and did not know Him; but in His Word and in the breaking of the bread, their eyes were opened—for we have a more sure word.

You don’t go looking for Jesus somewhere else.

You don’t climb up to Him.

You don’t feel your way to Him.

He comes to you.

In His Word—spoken into your ears.

In His Supper—placed into your mouth.

Not a memory.
Not a symbol.
Christ Himself.

Crucified.
Risen.
For you.

Here your eyes are opened.

Here your sins are forgiven.

Here you truly see Him.

Your eyes are opened there.

And there—whether you feel it or not—you truly see Him. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

>1 Peter 1:3–9; The Second Sunday of Easter; April 12, 2026

The Second Sunday of Easter

1 Peter 1:3–9

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN
April 12, 2026

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

It caused Nicodemus to scratch his head. In case you forgot Nicodemus was a Pharisee who came to Jesus one dark night to speak to him secretly.

“What do you mean ‘born again.’ I’m already old, can I be born again? Can I go back into my mother’s womb and start all over again? That doesn’t make any sense!”

Nicodemus was a wise old man, but Jesus words confused him. Jesus couldn’t really mean what he was saying.

“Listen closely,” Jesus continued, “no one can enter into the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. You see, human beings are flesh they can only give birth to human beings. Flesh is flesh, but spirit is spirit. The Spirit can give birth to spirit.”

It is perhaps one of the strangest metaphors used in the Bible. To be born again.

When Jesus had that discussion with Nicodemus he was left scratching his head. He was an educated man, and yet he was still confused. Whatever it means to be ‘born again,’ it is apparently very important because Jesus says that you can’t have a relationship with God without it.

It is a good topic for the Easter season. After all Jesus Christ died and rose so that human beings could once again have a relationship with God. So to be born again must have something to do with that also.

And here it is in our text this morning:

According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope.

New birth, born again, what exactly does it mean?

Well, let’s start by taking a closer look at the text.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Peter opens this section with a statement of praise to God. He’s using God’s name as that statement of praise. He begins here with what might be called a doxology—that is, praise to God for what He has done for us.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him all creatures here below,
Praise Him above ye heavenly host,
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Just like the song he’s saying let’s praise God because of who He is and what He has done.

According to his great mercy, he has caused us…

God the Father of Jesus Christ is acting as our Father, too. He gives us good gifts, just as any good father would do. He is a Father that cares for us and gives to us what we need.

Here, Peter says, He gives us:

Born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.

Well, there it is: being born again.

The new birth that Jesus talked about to Nicodemus.
The new birth that is necessary for anyone to see the kingdom of God.
The new birth that is a birth through the Spirit of God.

So the text says that this new birth comes about through the resurrection of Jesus. This new birth has everything to do with Easter. It has everything to do with what Jesus has done for us.

Notice how the text says that it was given to us. It’s a gift. New birth is something that we don’t have much to do with.

How many of you had something to do with your first birth? How many of you chose to be born, when and where you were born?

So in the same way we have as much to do with our ‘new birth’ as we did with our ‘old birth.’ Nothing.

It comes to us because of God. The same with our new birth. It comes to us through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus says that the Spirit must give birth to spirit. He is talking about faith in the work of God through Jesus Christ. Faith that is the gift of the Holy Spirit.

So we still haven’t answered the question yet. We know where it comes from, but we don’t know exactly what it is.

But before we answer that question let’s ask another:

Do we really need to be born again?

Well… many people feel that life is a dead end.

Modern life with all its gadgets and distractions (as many of you might know I’m a gadget guy!), with all its entertainment and pleasures, can feel quite pointless and without purpose. It’s easy to feel like a hamster on a wheel running for all your worth, to get nowhere.

There doesn’t seem to be time to do anything well. It’s easy to look back to the “good old days” and feel that life in the past had much more purpose.

Many people feel that life has lost its footing. Even here along the North Shore, you can see it. This has always been a resort town—but it doesn’t feel as quaint as it once did. The pace is different, the crowds are different, and the sense of a quiet, familiar place has faded.

You hear it all the time: “I remember when…”

And there’s truth in that—things have changed. But the problem isn’t that things have changed—the problem is what we start trusting when they do.

When that happens, life starts to feel empty, like we’re clinging to the past instead of living in what is real and lasting. That’s when life becomes a dead end—not because everything around us has changed, but because we’ve lost hold of the One who gives life its meaning.

When people feel that way, often it isn’t that they have lost a sense of meaning in life, the real problem is that they have lost the meaning of life. That is to be in a relationship with God, the creator of the heavens and the earth.

Sometimes we get that way especially in the church. We forget why we are here. We forget why the church exists.

The church is here for this morning.

Here is where our relationship with God is fully expressed. The church is here to receive from God the gifts that He loves to give.

Through Word and water, bread and wine we receive what we need for life to have meaning.

Whenever we lose sight of God at work in our lives in this way we cannot understand life’s ultimate purpose.

When we receive these wonderful gifts from God, we turn around and share them with the rest of the world. Without that, we can’t see the purpose for our existence.

We focus on ourselves and our lives and all that we have to do. We are cut off from the One that makes life worth living.

We are self-centered, living only for me.

That’s when life feels like a dead end because it is a dead end.

This is sin and sin brings only death. And we are mired in sin up to our eyeballs. Not other people’s sin, but our own.

We need God’s forgiveness; we need to be born again. Without it we are lost.

All of this—this new birth, this living hope—comes from one place: the cross of Jesus Christ.

There your sin was not ignored, not excused, but judged. There it was nailed to His body. There the wrath of God was poured out—not on you, but on Him.

And when He said, “It is finished,” He meant your sin, your guilt, your death—finished.

That is what is given to you in Baptism.

But St. Peter talked about being “born again into a living hope.”

A living hope is a hope that makes a difference in a life. It’s a living hope, not a dead end. It’s new life, born again, not an old life with no future.

St. Paul describes it too, in his letter to a pastor named Titus. He describes us pretty well when he describes our sinful nature.

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures...

Paul too talks about rebirth, being born again.

Did you hear how he describes it?

God saved us through the washing of rebirth that he poured out on us through Jesus Christ!

There are other words that we have heard recently:

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

There it is again.

New life.

It’s talking about dying and being born again. Dying with Jesus Christ. That’s what Baptism is all about.

We are connected to Jesus death. In fact, we die with Him on the cross.

There is no other way to put away sin.

You know that if you’ve ever tried to be perfect.

We excuse ourselves by saying, “I’m only human.” Well, that’s exactly the problem. Humans cannot be perfect as long as they are alive.

But Baptism takes care of that.

We die with Jesus.

He takes our sinful human nature, and nails it to the cross. He takes our sick, sinful hearts and pierces them with the Roman spear. He buries our sin-sick bodies, dead and buried in the grave.

That’s what Baptism does.

Not because I say so, but because God says so in His Word.

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death.

Our sin is done away with and we rise to new life.

A life marked by the joy of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

A new life that has hope, living hope.

A new life that has meaning and purpose because we have forgiveness of sin through the death of Jesus.

Our relationship with God is restored.

It is our inheritance.

Born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.

That is the living hope that we have been baptized into.

Even though we have been born again, there is still trouble while we live on this old corrupted planet.

Even though our hope is living, our living is filled with all kinds of trials.

It should be expected.

Many of you have experienced exactly what Peter is talking about here. Suffering grief and pain of many kinds, hospitalization, tragic accidents, cancer, and death. And even trouble from your own bad decisions.

But these, Peter says, also have purpose.

If your new birth gives your life purpose, then the troubles in your life must have purpose too.

They come, says Peter, to increase your faith. They come so that you can see the new life you have in Jesus even more clearly.

Trials make us see our faith in Jesus as a gift and nothing we can do for ourselves.

When you can’t depend on yourself, you have to depend on Jesus.

When you know you will fail, you turn to the One who gave His life for you, because what He gives you is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, and is kept in heaven for you.

It’s a new life that you’ve been given, new life full of joy and hope.

How do you know it’s yours? How do you know that you’ve been born again?

It’s a gift from the Father, a gift to you, not because you deserve it, or because you chose Him, but because He chose you when He poured out on you new life and a new birth.

He did it when He said to you:

“I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

1 Corinthians 15:1–11; The Festival of the Resurrection; April 5, 2026

The Festival of the Resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:1–11

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN
April 5, 2026

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

P: Christos Anisti, Christ is risen!
C: He is risen indeed, Alleluia!

Paul says,

I delivered to you… what I also received

The Truth. The Christian church teaches the truth. It isn’t Paul’s ideas, or a made-up theology. It wasn’t invented by the church. Paul says he delivers what he received. All of Christianity hinges on that idea. The Resurrection of Jesus is the truth.

You are not saved by what you invent—you are saved by what was delivered to you. Through the Word that is preached. The Word that strikes your ears. The Word passed down from generation to generation.

Paul makes it very clear. He proclaims the simple Gospel. Christ Jesus died for our sins. He hung upon the cross. He was buried in a tomb. He was as dead as could be. On the third day he rose again to life. It is simple, clear and unmistakable.

If it is true, it means everything for you and me.

And it is true.

It is not advice or inspiration. These are simple irrefutable facts. People have gone out to disprove them and come back believing the truth. We know that we are sinners. We know the consequences of our sin. Your sin requires death. Jesus died and rose again.

There is no separating Good Friday, Jesus death on the cross, from Easter. Jesus’ resurrection is proof of everything he did. All his preaching, all his miracles, all his actions, all his claims about himself.

He said he would die and rise again. His claims are made true in the Resurrection. The resurrection stands as proof that he accomplished all that he became human to do.

Christ did not almost die.
He did not spiritually rise.
He actually did both.

And Paul emphasizes the truth of it. He called on the Corinthian church to seek out the truth. There were plenty of witnesses. Cephas, the Twelve, 500, James, all the apostles, Paul, himself.

What happened to Jesus, his preaching, his death, burial and resurrection, were public event. Verifiable and proclaimed. Our faith stands strong on events in history. They are not just ideas in your heart.

While we want faith to be private and unprovable, subjective; God anchors your salvation outside of you, in real history, real happening, a real person, a real death, a real resurrection.

The Gospel is not something you discover—it is something delivered to you. Given through the proclamation of Jesus Christ.

And the resurrection of Jesus Christ is not just victory—it is mercy for real sinners.

Paul points to himself.

I am the least… unworthy…

He names his sin plainly: persecutor of the Church.

Then he sets the contrast of God’s grace.

By the grace of God I am what I am.

What he is saying is that if the Gospel reaches the persecutor of the church, it reaches you. God’s grace is that no one is too far gone. No sin outruns the risen Christ.

Paul makes it clear and simple.

By this Gospel you are saved.

You are saved by this Gospel. This Gospel. The accounts of Jesus preaching, death, burial and resurrection.

Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

Your salvation does not rest on your faith—it rests on Christ’s resurrection. You have salvation when you have faith in that resurrection, your sins forgiven, trust in Jesus.

The resurrection is not optional. It is the beating heart of the whole thing. It is the line between life and death. All of Christianity hinges on this fact.

If Jesus Christ is not raised, you are still in your sins and lost.

But he has risen from death.

And because of that you are made right with God.

Christ is risen—and that means your sin is forgiven and your death is finished. Amen.

P: Christos Anisti, Christ is risen!
C: He is risen indeed, Alleluia!

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Devotion – Beneath the Cross - April 3, 2026

Devotion – Beneath the Cross

John 19:30

It is finished.

The words fall from His lips… barely carried on His breath… spoken from a body that is already giving way to death. Those who stood there heard it, but what could it mean? Nothing about this moment looked finished. The cross still stood. The nails still held Him. The blood still ran. The darkness pressed in. This did not look like the end of anything—except Him.

They had seen too much to expect this.

They had seen Him speak, and demons fled. They had seen Him touch the sick, and bodies were restored. They had watched Him command creation itself. They had heard Him speak of life… of the kingdom… of victory. And now His voice was fading. The strength that once shook the world was gone. His head lowered. His body slackened. And death took Him.

It is finished.

If you had been there, you would not hear triumph. You would hear loss. Another life ended. Another man swallowed by death. Because that is what death does—it swallows everything. Every grave says the same thing. Every funeral preaches the same sermon. This is where it ends. This is what waits for you.

And now it has taken Him too.

The hands that blessed are still. The eyes that showed mercy are closed. The voice that called the dead to life is silent. He does not move. He does not speak. He does not breathe.

And yet…

He does not say, “I am finished.”

He says, “It is finished.”

Something else has ended here.

Not just His life—but the burden that was never His to begin with. The sin that clings to you. The guilt that follows you. The weight you cannot shake. Every failure. Every hidden thought. Every word you wish you could take back. Every moment you know you have fallen short.

All of it is there.

Laid on Him. Carried by Him. Paid for in His blood.

And when He speaks those words, He means them.

Finished.

Not waiting for more. Not needing your help. Not depending on your effort.

Finished.

The sin is answered.
The debt is paid.
The work is done.

For you.

It does not look like victory. It looks like death. Because this is how God works—hidden under suffering, buried in weakness, accomplished through the cross.

And so you stand there… beneath Him… with nothing to bring, nothing to fix, nothing to offer.

Only this remains.

It is finished.

For you.

John 13:1–17, 31b–35; Maundy Thursday — April 2, 2026

Unless I Wash You

John 13:1–17, 31b–35
Maundy Thursday — April 2, 2026
Life in Christ Lutheran Church — Grand Marais, Minnesota

“Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.”

John 13:1, ESV

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Jesus knew that His hour had come… having loved His own… He loved them to the end.

Jesus knows everything that is happening here. Nothing is hidden from Him. He knows Judas. He knows Peter. And most importantly, He knows the cross.

He has every reason to reject all of it.

But the text says:

“Having loved His own… He loved them to the end.”

His love is perfect. It is not based on worthiness. It is not based on loyalty. It is not based on potential.

These disciples are full of weakness and failure. Judas will betray Him. Peter will deny Him. The others will flee.

And still He loves them.

His love moves Him toward betrayal, suffering, and death.

Then comes one of the most astonishing moments in all of Scripture.

Jesus rises from supper, takes a towel, kneels down, and begins washing the disciples’ feet.

It makes no sense.

The Teacher should not be washing feet. They should be washing His.

But Jesus turns everything upside down.

The Master becomes the servant.

He kneels before them.

He stoops down into their filth.

This is more than humility.

This is an exchange.

Jesus is not merely giving a moral example. He is showing what the cross means.

He will stoop lower still.

He will take upon Himself the filth of the world’s sin.

He will serve them by giving everything.

Peter reacts strongly:

“You shall never wash my feet.”

Peter resists being served.

That is the real issue.

Peter does not want to be helpless. He does not want grace. He does not want to receive what he cannot earn.

And neither do we.

Our sinful nature always wants control. We want to contribute something. We want to believe we can help save ourselves.

But Jesus pushes directly against all of that.

“I am serving you. You have nothing to add. I am doing it all.”

Then Jesus says something absolute:

“If I do not wash you, you have no share with Me.”

That cuts against everything we naturally believe about ourselves.

No washing.

No service from Jesus.

No part in Christ.

Jesus is not really talking about feet.

He is talking about salvation.

Without being served by Jesus, there is no forgiveness.

Then Jesus says:

“The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet…”

Jesus does not save you once and then leave you alone.

The bathing He speaks about is Holy Baptism. Through Baptism and faith, you are washed completely.

This washing is not merely physical.

Dirt is removed outwardly.

Sin is removed spiritually.

Jesus says:

“You belong to Me. You are clean.”

But while you live in this world, you still need continual cleansing.

You still sin.

You still carry dirt.

You still need Christ to serve you.

You cannot maintain your own spiritual condition. You cannot try harder and cleanse yourself.

And so Jesus continues serving you.

When He washes the disciples’ feet, He is pointing toward the cross and toward His Supper.

The Lord’s Supper is not you recommitting yourself to Jesus.

It is Jesus continually serving you.

It is Christ washing you again and again with forgiveness.

You do not come to the altar trying to become clean.

You come because Christ keeps you clean.

Then comes the warning:

“Not all of you are clean…”

Judas is still there.

Betrayal is sitting at the table.

Evil is present among them.

And still Jesus gives.

The Supper is not for the worthy.

It is for sinners.

If sinners did not need forgiveness, there would be no reason for the meal at all.

Then Jesus says:

“Now is the Son of Man glorified…”

And again He is speaking about the cross.

But Jesus defines glory differently than the world does.

His glory is not worldly triumph or political power.

His glory is serving sinners through suffering and death.

The disciples—and we ourselves—see the glory of Christ most clearly when He is betrayed, handed over, crucified, and dying for the world.

Then Jesus gives the new commandment:

“Love one another…”

But this is not a command to earn salvation.

You love because Jesus first loved you.

You serve because you have first been served.

That is Christian love.

Just as Jesus stooped down to wash feet, just as He served the world by giving His life, so Christians live lives of sacrificial service toward one another.

And even now, Jesus continues serving you.

Through the preached Word.

Through Holy Baptism.

Through His body and blood.

He knows your sin.

And still He kneels.

Still He serves.

Still He gives Himself.

On the night He was betrayed, Jesus did not ask for your service.

He gave you His.

Unless He serves you, you have no part in Him.

And tonight, He does.

Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.